Defence, CBI computers may be prone to spying from overseas

About 3,000 Internet connections, including those of the Ministry of Defence, security agencies, the CBI and banks in Delhi, have been found to be compromised, probably for snooping from foreign locations, according to a report submitted by cyber security experts to government.

While computers in these organisations haven't been hacked, a vulnerability in the modems they use may have allowed outsiders access to information, the Indian Infosec Consortium said. "About 3,000 Internet connections in Delhi are compromised, including that of defence, CBI, election officers. They are being accessed using servers abroad. We have shared a detailed report with Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal who has promised prompt action," IIC cyber security analyst Jiten Jain told PTI.

The list includes the Ministry of Defence at South Block, the Deputy Secretary of the Cabinet Secretariat at Rashtrapati Bhawan, the Chief of Naval Staff in C-Wing at South Block, the Air Force Communication centre at Vayu Bhawan, the zonal officer of the Controller of Defence Accounts at Delhi Cantonment, and the Directorate of Income Tax (Investigation) at Jhandewalan.

Some connections at the office of public telecom firm MTNL were also compromised.

Jain said the consortium has also submitted a report to security agencies for immediate action and correction of their systems. Over 99 per cent of the 3,000 connections surveyed by IIC were possible victims of snooping.

IIC is a group of 20,000 cyber security experts pitching to become the first line of cyber defence for India and develop indigenous cyber security products. The researchers said they believe the threat emanates from a vulnerability due to technical settings in modems imported and sold by most Indian telecom operators.